The Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Mind of God

There is a passage of scripture in the New Testament that has received quite a bit of attention in recent years.  I confess I have a hard time understanding it.  I have read it again and again, and even read entire books on the subject, but still there is some ambiguity and confusion over it, however I'd like to take a moment to share a few tidbits of understanding that I gained today.

For the past two weeks, the Holy Ghost has been the topic of discussion in some way, in both Sunday School and Relief Society in our ward.  I want to consider the following verses, right off the bat.  

• John 14:15-31
• John 16
• Galatians 5
• Alma 32:28

Prior to Christ's death and resurrection, he warns his disciples of what is to come.  They don't quite understand.  Forgive me in this post as I take a little editorial leeway and capitalize one word repeatedly which is not normally capitalized.  

"But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?  But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.  Nevertheless I tell you the Truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him* unto you." -John 16:5-7  

[*Side note:  the Greek translation renders each instance of the word "him" as gender neutral.  In essence, the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost is not necessarily a male figure.  Why is the Greek translation worth considering?  See here for a solid answer.  I'll asterisk the word "he" just for kicks in this post.

Additionally, the Greek word for Comforter is παρακλητος, or paraklhtoV (pronounced par-ak'-lay-tos), and is also represented as the words helper, counselor, advocate, among others.]

He is warning them.  Saying in essence, "I'm about to go away, but none of you are willing to ask where I'm going.  But you're sorrowing nonetheless.  But this is THE TRUTH regarding the Comforter.  Let me explain..."  

A few breaths before, he also explained,   

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he* shall tesitfy of me:" -John 15:26

And a few breaths before that,

"If ye love me, keep my commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he* may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him* not, neither knoweth him*: but ye know him*; for he* dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." -John 14:15-17

And back to where we started, with preparing to be killed,

"Howbeit when he*, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he* will guide you unto All Truth: for he* shall not speak of himself*; but whatsoever he* shall hear, that shall he* speak: and he* will shew you things to come.  He* shall glorify me: for he* shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he*(I'm unclear if this refers to Spirit of Truth or the Father) shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." -John 15:13-14   

In the Lectures on Faith, which Joseph Smith dedicated significant time and effort on, we receive further light and knowledge on the nature of the Godhead.  He explains in a series of questions/answers, with attending verses as evidence.  These passages have given me greater clarity and understanding on the Spirit of Truth of which Christ speaks.  From Lecture Fifth:

"16: Do the Father and the Son possess the same mind?  They do.  John 5:30: "I [Christ] can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."  John 6:38: "For I [Christ] came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."  John 1-:30: "I [Christ] and my Father are one."  

17.  What is this mind?  The Holy Spirit.  John 15:26:  "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me [Christ]."  Galatians 4:6: "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts."  

18.  Do the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit constitute the Godhead?  They do (Lecture 5:2).  [Let the student turn and commit this paragraph to memory.]  

19. Do the believers in Christ Jesus, through the gift of the Spirit, become one with the Father and the Son, as the Father and the Son are one?  They do.  John 17:20-21: "Neither pray I for these [the apostles] alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."  

20.  Does the foregoing account of the Godhead lay a sure foundation for the exercise of faith in him unto life and salvation?  It does."

It was important for Joseph to instruct that the Holy Spirit is equivalent with the MIND of God.  And that the Holy Spirit is the same mind that the Father and Son possess.  As we receive the Holy Spirit, is it noteworthy to consider that should we believe this, that we indeed are taking upon us the MIND of GOD?  Do we become one in mind, therefore one in intent, purpose, understanding and knowledge?

In Sunday School and Relief Society, for two weeks in a row, I shared this quote:

"The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence." - Joseph Smith

Frequently as a missionary I would share Galations 5:22-23 as a way to help investigators understand the fruits of the Spirit.  This, I would say, is how we know when we are feeling THE Spirit.  But is it THE Spirit, necessarily, when we feel these things?  I never quite explained fully what Paul was teaching in these verses, so I'd like to highlight the backstory to the verses we use so much.

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in the time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." - Galatians 5:16-26   

Here the word "truth" is not mentioned in our English translations, however we are talking about the fruits, or the things that come FROM the Holy Spirit.  If we add in the words "of Truth" after the word "Spirit", we might find a new way of looking at what Paul was getting at.  When we are in a place with pure intelligence, with Truth, with the Mind of God, we are not of the law requiring us to be carnal creatures (or are we?).  In essence, I propose what he is saying is that we are above carnal, above the law, and in connection with the pure Mind of God, the Holy Spirit of Truth, and will manifest fruits which are highlighted above in yellow.  It sounds like something higher.  We inherit (in-here-it) the kingdom of God.  Here and now.

One more verse to tie it into the Book of Mormon.

Alma compares the word to a seed.

Now, we will compare the word (aka "truth" or "good") unto a seed.  Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions (fruit), ye will begin to say within yourselves–It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul (fruit); yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding (fruit), yea, it beginneth to be delicious (fruit) to me.  Now behold, would not this increase your faith?  I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge... And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow (fruit), ye must needs know that the seed is good.  And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand."  -Alma 32:28-9, 33-4  

A friend, who inspired this post in my mind a few months ago, shared with me that she felt "the Spirit" at a local amusement park ride.  She questioned her understanding of the traditional explanation of what the Spirit is.  I hope this post helps friends like her, who are truly bewildered by the modern definitions we give in Sunday School regarding what the Holy Spirit is.  There is so much more clarity when we dig into the scriptures.  I don't understand everything, but I feel like I have learned a lot from her asking the question.  

Spirit Sensitivity

Dear Daniel,

I'm DONE!!!  Today I took my final examination required to become a massage therapist.  When I began this blog over a year and a half ago (?), I never expected that this "major shift" would turn me into a massage therapist!  But here we are, and I'm almost done.  In a few days you'll have your mommy completely home again, and we can make as many messes as we want.

(Thank you for the beautiful flowers! xoxo!)

I've missed getting to spend my days with you and Austin.  Sure, the older ones were at school all day, and mostly I'd be here for them.  I hope you and your siblings weren't traumatized by hanging out with your pappy and daddy half the days.  I know lots of people do that situation, where the mom just isn't able to be in the home.  But this decision felt hard for me, despite its rightness, because it didn't make sense in so many ways.  I remember worrying to one of my classmates, saying those exact "I hope my boys aren't traumatized" words.  She said to me, "They'll be just fine!"  Hopefully time proves her right. You seem to be just fine.

There's a magical discovery that happened during these months of school.  There is a power in our bodies that few of us realize, and it is the power of one's spirit.  Generally we neglect, and many even deny, that such a thing is there.  But when we die, it is our ever-living spirit which carries on, while our bodies return to the ground from whence we are told they came.  In practicing massage, I have learned to greater feel my own spirit, and the literal impact it can have on the spirits of others.

I remember several years ago, not quite understanding why my own spirit seemed so unique.  Some situations bothered me more than they would bother the average person.  WaWa always said that I needed to "toughen up" my skin, and not be so sensitive.  At times she's right, but I'm observing that it is my sensitive skin that is in fact a gift.  I don't need to necessarily please other people, or worry about holding up my pride.  It doesn't matter if I'm the only one to ever apologize for doing something wrong, while the other party feels their pride in "being right".  It'll work itself out.  I trust that being sensitive and impacted by the spirits and energies of others is part of who I am, and part of the gifts that God has given me.

Perhaps this might not be that insightful for you, and perhaps it will be.  Some people take offense at things that should not be taken offense at, and it will be up to you to forgive them, and not let their negative spirits cut into your beautiful, sensitive spirit.  You seem to be as easily affected by others' energies as I am, so will warn you that this can hurt, when you are unprepared.  But get prepared.  Take care of your body, and show it respect, so that you appreciate and protect the gift that is inherent in you, as it is in me.

You are my sunshine...

I'm so glad I get to spend more time with you.  It is the biggest relief, to know that I can now be home with you each and every day if I want to.  I hope that with accomplishing this remarkable goal, it will bless your life as you grow.  It certainly has awakened a power I never knew existed.

xoxoxoxo
~Mom<3

Pride, Haughtiness and Humility

Today we had guests for dinner, to include the missionaries serving in our area.  In the process of sharing conversation, we had the opportunity to discuss situations with previous missionaries, and I realized that some of what we were saying might not have been interpreted as nice, and would not have been something I would have shared with the person we were talking about, had they been present.  Realizing I don't want to talk like this about people, I suggested we change the subject, but the elder asked why I (and my family) felt the way I did.  I suppose he wanted to hear what was considered rude behavior by me, perhaps so that he could avoid doing what the previous missionary had done.

As my husband and I tried to pinpoint what was really that offensive about the previous missionary, we somewhat nailed down that the issue at hand was a bit of pride.  This previous missionary always had a "one-upper" – whatever we were talking about, this person could share something that was bigger, better, brighter, or whatever.  They could always "top" the story we were sharing.

After discussing this situation, I remembered a different missionary from years past.  It has probably been well over ten years since this other missionary served here, but I was so impressed by him that I still remember his name.  He worked a crowd like few I have seen.  He knew how to bring joy to the room, give a great discussion where the peace of the Spirit was felt, and dispelled contention.  He was not pretentious, haughty, or proud.  I felt humility from him, and never felt pompousness or self-righteousness.  This did not mean he didn't know the gospel or the scriptures, but he didn't judge you if you didn't know them, or try to out-do you.

The two missionaries I recall were both male and female.  Both surely worked hard, and were "good" missionaries.  Both were imperfect, and I remember both by name, years after they have left our ward.  If I had a chance to emulate one or the other, or consider which was more Christ-like, it would surely be the second.  He hadn't traveled as much as the first, didn't have quotes and citations memorized, and was not necessarily "booksmart", but he carried the Spirit's presence with him.  

1 Nephi 1:7 - Being Overcome with the Spirit

In 1 Nephi 1:6, we learned about Lehi's first visionary experience, which caused him to quake and tremble.  Here, in 1 Nephi 1:7, we learn several things about the nature of that experience, and what it did to Lehi's physical body.  

1 Nephi 1:7

And it came to pass that he returned to his own house at Jerusalem; and he cast himself upon his bed, being ^aovercome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen.

It says he returned to his own house, which was at Jerusalem.  This indicates that the experience that followed him praying with all his heart, did not occur in Lehi's home.  It was elsewhere.  The pillar of fire which appeared dwelt upon a rock.  Perhaps it was without his home, just as Joseph Smith, in his first visionary experience, went to a grove of trees near his home.  We don't know for sure with Lehi, but we do know that he returned home.  

In returning, he cast himself upon his bed – his place of rest.  I sometimes laugh when I read this line, because it makes me think of my kids when they have a tantrum, throwing themselves on their bed, kicking and screaming.  I trust that's not what happened in Lehi's case.  Often one's bed is one of the most energetically secure or sacred spaces in their home.  There are a variety of reasons for this, but for myself, I enjoy reading and studying near my bed.  For Lehi, he didn't go to the kitchen, the tv room, the busy areas.  He went to his quiet space.  And then he likely told himself, "Ok, breathe.  You're not crazy.  You just witnessed a pillar of fire.  And more.  Breathe..."

Being overcome with the Spirit, he cast himself upon his bed.  There are several instances where other mortal men experienced this same symptom, of being overcome after experiencing something highly spiritual.  In the book of Moses, it says that Moses experienced similarly:

9  And the presence of God withdrew from Moses, that his glory was not upon Moses; and Moses was left unto himself. And as he was left unto himself, he fell unto the earth.
10  And it came to pass that it was for the space of many hours before Moses did again receive his natural strength like unto man; and he said unto himself: Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed. (Moses 1:9-10, italics added)

It is apparently not a weakness of Lehi's, but something inherent in mortals that when they experience something otherworldly, their physical strength is often drained.  This is reported to be the case with Sidney Rigdon, after he and Joseph Smith witnessed the vision(s) recorded in D&C 76.  I suppose one explanation could be that God is full of light, much more than the sun at noonday.  Just spending a few hours in the sun will tend to drain me.  Perhaps spending even short amounts of time with beings in higher elements would tend to have this affect on a mortal. 

When we learn that Lehi's weakness was due from being overcome with the Spirit, and also from the things which he had seen, it makes me wonder, once again, what did he see?  And what did he hear?  And what prohibits so many of us from asking the Lord to show us, as He did with Lehi?  Do we fear we too will be overcome?  Or are we just lazy?  Is it not a priority?  Do we think we're not righteous enough?  How righteous was Lehi?  What did he do to warrant such attention from heavenly visitations?  What do we need to do to warrant such things?  It is not improper to ask.